Paper clip



Patented Mar. 25, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT o FicE. 1

ROBERT O. CROW, OF GOLDSIBORO, NORTH'CAROLINA, ASSIGNOB OF THREE-TENTHS TO HUGH GORDON MAXWELL, JR., OF GOLDSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA.

, PAPER CLIP.

Application filed December 8, 1922. Serial No. 605,669.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT O. Cnow, a citizen of the United States, residing at Goldsboro, in the county of l/Vayne and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper Clips, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in paper clips. 7

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a paper clip particularly designed to facilitate attachment thereof to sheets of paper and the like. i A further and important object of this invention is the provision of a wire paper clip, which may be provided in various forms, including a novel eye opening within which a portion of the clip cooperates, whereby papers may be quickly and conveniently grasped by the clip, by reason of the fact that primary attachment of the clip to the sheets of paper will flex the same to facilitate its attachment.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

' In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the preferred form of the improved paper clip.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the improved and preferred form of paper clip, showing the novel manner in which the same cooperates in receiving a plurality of sheets of paper, whereby the same may be flexed to facilitate attachment of the paper clip.

Fig. 3 is a modified form of paperclip embodying the novel features enumerated here- Fig. 4 is a second modified form of the improved paper clip, and embodying novel features of this invention,

In the drawing, wherein forthe purpose of illustration are shown preferred and modified forms of this invention, the letter A generally. designates the preferred form of paper clip; and B and C modified forms of aper clips.

eferring to forms A, B and C, the same all include inner and outer frame portions 10 and 11 respectively. The preferred form and 11 are connected at the arcuate end 12 of the clip A, whereby said inner and outer frame portions 10 and 11 may be relatively moved. The inner and outer frame portions, of course, lie in the same plane, and it is preferred that the sides 13 and 14 of the in nor frame portion 10 be in spaced parallel relation to provide the elongated enclosed opening 15.

The outer frame portion llprovides the V spaced parallel sides 17 and 18, preferably lying for their major length outwardly of and in parallel abutting relation with the sides 13 and 14 respectively of the inner frame portion 10. The free end of the outer frame portion 11 provides an enla-rged eye 20, defining the eye opening 21, and which is preferably formed by laterally inclining the sides 17 and 18, as at 2 2, outwardly of the run of said sides 17 and 18; said portion 22 being connected by a bight or convex piece 23. The reduced orconvex end 24. of the inner framelO, which is'the free end thereof, extends partly into the eye opening 21, and provides a nose for engaging sheets of paper. At this free end. 24 of the inner frame 10, intermediate the sides 13 and 14 thereof, and the laterally inclining portion 22 of the outer frame 11, spaces 25 are provided, which decrease in width from the free end 24' of the inner frame 10 upwardly to the point where the sides 13 and 14 of said inner frame 10 engage the sides 17and 18 in abutting relation. Thus, it can be seen that the spaces 25 decrease in width intermediate the frame portions 10 and 11, to the point where the frame 10 enters the eye opening 21.

The facility with which the improved clip A may be attached to sheets of paper 30, is obvious. As is illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing, by the provision of the lat erally enlarged eye opening 21, it can be seen that the portion 21 of the sneets 3O which is first disposed in the eye opening 21 V will be flexed, incident to the relatively great width of the eye opening 21 outwardlyof the nose end 24. This facilitates the slipping of the nose portion 24 of the inner frame 10 upon the opposite side of the sheets superposed sheets 30, and the frame portion 11 overlying the. other side of said superposed sheets. It is to be noted, that this facility of attachment of the clip A is pri marily accomplished by provision of the relatively large eye opening 21, and the spaces 25 which decrease in width from the nose 24 upwardly to the point where the free end of the said inner frame 10 enters the eye opening 21.

' Referring to the modified form B, the inner frame 10 thereof is preferably of identical formation with the inner frame 10 for the preferred form A, and provides the nose 2%, which extends into an eye opening of the outer frame portion. 11. The outer frame portion 11 is of somewhat different formation than the preferred form A, and preferably includes the sides 36 and 37, which are in parallel abutting relation with the sides of the inner frame 10, fortheir major lengths. These sides 36 and 37, intermediate their ends, are laterally arcuated, as at etO and 41 respectively, to provide the eye opening 35 above mentioned. This eye opening 35 is intermediate the ends of the outer frame portion 11, so that an end 4L2, in fact, provides the free end of said outer frame 11, and which provides an opening 43 less in width than the width of the eye opening 35. In this form, asin the preferred form, the spaces 4% intermediate the free end of the inner frame 10 and the convex sides and 41, decrease in dimension from the nose 2% to the point where the same enters the eye opening 35, and at which point the sides of the inner and outer frames are in parallel abutting relation.

Referring to the second modified form C, the inner frame portion 10 thereof is in the shape of an isosceles triangle, including the sides ,50 and 51, converging to the apex or nose 52, which is preferably convex. The outer frame portion 11 is preferably of V- shaped formation, the sides 53 and 54 of which are preferably straight for their major length, and lying in abutting parallel relation with the sides and 51 respectively of the inner frame 10. An eye55 is preferably provided at the apex of the sides 53 and 54, providing the relatively large open ing 56 intowhich the end or nose 52 of the inner frame 10 extends, in the same relation as above described for the preferred and modified ,forms it and B of the inn proved-- paper clip. If desired, the extennary paper clip. The compactness and economical construction which is an essential feature of a paper. clip, is not done away with by the incorporation of the improved features herein described. In addition, the provision of the relatively broad eye at the terminal of the improved paper clip pro- 'vides a'better grip upon the sheets of paper,

inwardly of theinarginal edges thereof, to facilitate the retention of the paper clip against liability of accidental detachment.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be made to the forms of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A fastening clip comprising outer and inner frame portions each including spaced sides lying in the same plane and being conncctediat an end of said clip, said outer portion having an end thereof bulged laterally to provide an enlarged eye opening, the free end of said inner'frame portion extending partly into said enlarged eye opening. I

2. As an article of manufacture a paper clip of wire bent to provide inner and outer frame portions resiliently connected at an end of said clip, the sides of said inner and outer frame portions extending in parallel relation for their major lengths, said outer frame being laterally extended to provide a relatively large eye opening into which the free end of the inner frame portion extends.

3. As an article of manufacture .a paper clip of wire bent to provide inner and outer portions resiliently connected at an end of said clip, the sides of said inner and outer portions extending in abutting parallel relation for their major lengths, said outer frame being laterallyextended at. its sides to provide a relatively large eye opening into which the free end of the inner frame portion partially extends to provide spaces intermediate the sides of said inner frame at the free end thereof and the laterally extended. sides of said outer frame.

l-. A paper clip comprising, inner and outer frame portions resiliently connected at an end of said clip, said inner portion having a free end arcuated and extending into an eye opening of the outer portion whereby spaces are provided intermediate. the free arcuate end of the inner frame. and the sides of the outer frame portion, saidlspaces decreasing in width from the extreme" free end of the inner frame to the point of extension of the same into the outer frame eye opening.

5. As an article of manufacture a paper clip of wire material providing inner and outer frame portions resiliently connected at an end of said clip, said outer frame having the sides thereof inclined outwardly of the run of said sides remote from the resilient connection of the inner and outer frame portions to provide a relatively wide eye opening, the free end of said inner frame providing a nose partially extending into the eye openingand providing spaces intermediate said nose and the sides defining the eye opening.

6. As an article of manufacture, a paper clip comprising inner and outer frame portions, said outer frame portion having sides outwardly convexed to provide a relatively wide eye opening intermediate the ends of said outer frame portion, said inner frame portion having the free end thereof extending in reduced relation into said eye openmg.

7. A clip of the class described comprising a pair of frames each defining 'a plane. and being resiliently connected at an end of said clip to normally be urged into a common plane, one frame having adjacent its free .end a laterally enlarged eye opening into being laterally enlarged to provide an eye v opening, the free end of the inner frame being arcuate and extending into the eye opening of the outer frame in spaced relation therewith.

ROBERT O. CROW. 

